August 4 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Top Handbell Ensemble to Perform
Strikepoint, an internationally-acclaimed handbell ensemble based in Duluth, will be performing at 7:00 pm on Sunday, August 4 at First United Methodist Church (230 E. Skyline Parkway) in Duluth. Admission is free but an $18 donation is suggested. This performance is the part of Strikepoint’s 2024 summer concert series, which will culminate in attending the 21st International Handbell Symposium in Hamamatsu, Japan, later that week. Bill Alexander, a nationally known handbell clinician and conductor, is the founder and director of Strikepoint, and will be retiring at the end of August.
Strikepoint was established in 1984 and has been touring annually since 1986. Their travels have taken them to England, Scotland, Japan, Hong Kong, Sweden, Canada, Hawaii and throughout the mainland U.S. They have performed at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, Disney World in Florida, and both Disneyland and the Crystal Cathedral in California. In 2016 they were cultural exchange ambassadors to Växjö, Duluth’s Swedish sister city. Locally, they have performed with the Arrowhead Chorale and the Duluth-Superior Symphony Orchestra.
Strikepoint rings 6-plus octaves of bronze Schulmerich handbells, 7 octaves of handchimes, 2 octaves of Silver Melody Bells, 3 octaves of Petit and Fritzen handbells and a variety of other instruments. The 11-member directorless ensemble is unique among touring handbell groups as a combination community/professional/church group and an adult/youth group.
Strikepoint is noted for capturing the enthusiasm of audiences with its dynamic style and accessible music. Concert selections include both familiar and new music, and range from a fiery Israeli folk song to music by Elton John and Abba to three pieces written specifically for Strikepoint. Reviews of Strikepoint concerts have praised their “athleticism and showmanship,” “rhythmic precision, musical nuance and technical confidence,” with an “exceptionally creative bent!”
Strikepoint concerts are designed to engage and delight listeners. Among the comments most frequently heard after concerts, a favorite is, “If we’d known it was going to be this good, we would have brought all our friends.”
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